City Developments Limited (CDL) has released its 19th Integrated Sustainability Report (ISR) 2026, titled Time for Impact: Future-Proofing Planet, People and Prosperity. The report highlights CDL’s continued progress in decarbonization, enhanced climate disclosures in progressive alignment with IFRS S1 and S2, and expanded efforts to accelerate nature-positive outcomes. It also reflects the group’s sustainability leadership since 1995 and its progress toward achieving its environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals and targets under the CDL Future Value 2030 Sustainability Blueprint.

In 2025, CDL reduced its Scope 1 and 2 operational carbon emissions for assets under direct management and operational control by 29% from 2016 levels. It also achieved a 50% reduction in Scope 3 embodied carbon emissions for new developments completed in 2025, based on project-level assessments, alongside a 59.6% reduction in Scope 3 emissions for its investments. These reductions support the group’s Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-validated targets.

“As 2030 draws closer, Singapore continues to push forward with strong ambition and clear direction toward decarbonization and a City in Nature,” says Esther An, CDL’s chief sustainability officer. “At CDL, we remain steadfast in maintaining our momentum and commitment to ESG as a driver of long-term resilience and value creation. In 2025, we strengthened our climate and nature-related disclosures, advanced decarbonization across our operations and value chain, and launched high-impact initiatives such as the CDL EcoTrain and CDL MicroForest to support climate education and regenerate urban biodiversity. These efforts reflect our commitment to sustainability as a long-term business imperative, and we will continue to work with our partners and stakeholders to future-proof our portfolio and contribute to a low-carbon, nature-positive future.”

Strengthening climate disclosures and IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards alignment

In 2025, CDL continued its dynamic double materiality assessment, evaluating both impact and financial materiality. The top five issues ranked highest for 2025 are:

• Decarbonization – energy efficiency and adoption of renewables
• Cyber-readiness, security and data privacy
• Green and healthy buildings – product/service quality and responsibility
• Occupational health, safety and well-being
• Governance and business conduct

With the implementation of the IFRS S1 and S2 for STI constituents, CDL has taken further steps toward adopting the global sustainability reporting baseline. The group undertook a rigorous assessment to identify and quantify its top three climate-related risks and opportunities, enhancing transparency and strengthening integration of climate considerations into strategic planning.

In December 2025, CDL completed its fourth climate-change-scenario study with an independent consultant, significantly enhancing the depth and breadth of its analysis. The study expanded its scope and geographical coverage to include Japan and assessed the group’s exposure to physical and transition risks across short-, medium- and long-term horizons from 2030 to 2050.

Amid rapid global biodiversity loss, CDL has intensified its commitment to nature preservation and regeneration, publishing its third Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) report within the ISR. Key advancements include expanding its asset coverage to 27 hotels and offices in the United Kingdom, a deeper dive into the Singapore and New Zealand portfolios, and the use of new nature-related tools and databases for reporting and analysis.

Since 2017, CDL has secured more than S$11 billion in sustainable finance, leveraging its strong sustainability performance and credibility, validated by global ESG benchmarks such as FTSE4Good, MSCI ESG Ratings (“AAA” since 2010), and the CDP with double A List (“A” ratings for Climate Change (since 2018) and Water Security (since 2019). CDL was also ranked 69th on the 2026 Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, maintaining its position as Singapore’s top real estate management and leasing company.

Accelerating collaboration for a low-carbon and nature-positive future

As Scope 3 emissions become increasingly critical to the net-zero transition, CDL continues to engage and empower its value chain. In October 2025, the first cohort of 42 SMEs graduated from CDL’s SME Supplier Decarbonisation Queen Bee Programme. The initiative was developed with Enterprise Singapore, Global Green Connect and DBS Bank. Participating SME suppliers were equipped with the knowledge and tools to measure and manage their carbon footprints while strengthening supply chain resilience.

CDL also continued to actively engage tenants in its green building initiatives. In 2025, it concluded the City Green Tenant Bonus Programme, a pioneering decarbonization initiative launched in 2024 for tenants at Republic Plaza, its flagship commercial property. Building on its Green Lease framework, the program incentivized tenants to adopt more sustainable practices and reduce energy consumption, supporting efforts to lower Scope 3 emissions.

In 2025, CDL significantly advanced its nature and biodiversity agenda with the launch of three innovative community initiatives at its flagship City Square Mall: the CDL EcoTrain, CDL MicroForest and CDL MicroFarm. These initiatives support CDL’s adoption of the TNFD and underscore the group’s efforts to enhance urban biodiversity, build climate resilience and inspire future eco-champions. In its first year of operation, the zero-energy CDL EcoTrain reached more than 70,000 visitors and more than 1,500 workshop participants.

Designed to mitigate urban heat, enhance climate resilience and boost biodiversity, the CDL MicroForest, located at City Square Mall’s City Green park, is Singapore’s first research-driven tropical microforest in a retail mall. Based on recent first-year findings, temperatures within the CDL MicroForest can be up to 5°C cooler than in surrounding and roadside areas.

These initiatives reflect CDL’s commitment to advancing climate impact and future-proofing its developments and portfolio.

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Issued by City Developments Limited (Co. Regn. No. 196300316Z)

For media enquiries, please contact CDL Corporate Communications:

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X: @CityDevLtd / x.com/citydevltd

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Gladu is a member of Domtar’s newly formed External Sustainability Advisory Committee, and as principal owner of Mokwateh consultancy, he provided a third-party Indigenous review of the company’s new Global Indigenous Relations Policy. With this in mind, we asked him to share his thoughts on what’s next for Indigenous partnerships in Canada.

Q: How did you get your start in forestry? What brought you to the industry?

Forestry is in my blood. My dad was a logger, his dad was a logger, and I spent a lot of time in the bush growing up. I actually grew up off reserve, which was a result of historical circumstances. In 1958, our community was burned to the ground by the provincial government to make way for a provincial park. As a result, many families – including mine – had to relocate.

Growing up off reserve shaped my perspective; I always knew I was First Nation, but I didn’t have the same daily connection to community life that others did. Instead, I found my connection to my heritage through time spent on the land and in the forest, often hunting and fishing with other community members.

I originally wanted to be a conservation officer, so I went to forest tech school in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. My first job was helping with First Nation community forests across Ontario. The enthusiasm and togetherness I felt at those on-reserve community forest meetings helped me realize that my passion was for working with our people and supporting Indigenous communities, rather than chasing corporate titles.

Q: Many Domtar employees and customers aren’t aware of the company’s Indigenous relations work. Can you give an example of Domtar raising the bar for Indigenous relations?

One of the best examples comes from the Lake Nipigon forest and the relationships that grew out of that work. Before 2008, First Nations had almost no management control over forests in our own backyards. We were constantly fighting for access to wood and opportunities to harvest, which created tension with industry. Then the sector hit a downturn in 2008, and everything changed. Domtar, government representatives and our First Nations sat down together, and we negotiated 100% management control of the Lake Nipigon forest. That was a turning point. It showed what true Indigenous partnerships could look like.

Even after gaining control, we didn’t have a sawmills or processing facility until 2012, so we maintained strong relationships with companies like Domtar to deliver wood. It became a symbiotic relationship: Domtar needed fibre for its mills, and we needed markets for our wood. Over time, that collaboration evolved into something much deeper: shared problem-solving and mutual respect. Today, we are supplied with oversized trees and Domtar purchases our dimensional wood for final processing and markets. With the capacity of about a truck a day, we employ four sawmill workers and a manager.

There’s also a personal story that illustrates this evolution. My dad worked as a logger and truck driver years ago, and his boss in the bush was Tom Ratz. Back then, my dad was a bullheaded First Nation guy that was a high production operator, and he and Tom sometimes butted heads. Fast forward to today. My dad is the Chief of Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek (Sand Point First Nation), and Tom, until he recently retired, was chief forester for Ontario within Domtar. They are still working together. That change underscores why respectful, long-term relationships matter. In forestry communities, roles change, but the connections remain. Domtar’s willingness to adapt, listen and work alongside Indigenous leadership is what raising the bar looks like. Tom, my dad and I have plans to go fishing together this summer. We’ve also had Lana Wilhelm, director of Indigenous relations, spend time in our community on the land. I can’t stress enough the importance of industry partners spending time in community. It’s the relationships that count.

Q: What do you see as the next evolution for Indigenous partnerships in the forest sector?

The sector needs to think differently and invest in Indigenous business infrastructure, especially in northern communities. It’s not enough to offer jobs; companies should support Indigenous-owned businesses, like trucking or harvesting companies, that build local capacity.

In northern communities, non-Indigenous forestry operators are retiring, and often, the next generation doesn’t want to inherit the business and sometimes leaves the community altogether. Indigenous people – who’ve lived there since time immemorial – are the ones who remain. As a generation retires and banks become more hesitant to finance forestry operations, Indigenous communities are stepping up to fill those gaps.

By investing in Indigenous business infrastructure and supporting Indigenous-owned companies, the forest industry can build local capacity, strengthen the supply chain and ensure a stable workforce. The more capacity Indigenous communities have, the more certainty we generate for the sector. Supporting Indigenous involvement isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s essential for the future of Canada’s forest industry.

Q: With this in mind, how can a company position themselves well through Indigenous partnerships to face the challenges in our sector?

Whether it’s a small local partnership that will create a handful of jobs or millions of dollars in infrastructure spending, you need to start at the same place.

One of the most important lessons I learned early in my forestry career was about grading trees. When I was at Sault College, we were taught to assess trees for their value – whether they were prime lumber, mixed or just pulp and firewood. During one exercise, our instructor asked us to grade a yellow birch. Most of us called out our guesses from a distance, but he told us we were all wrong. None of us had taken the time to walk around the tree and see its full condition. There could have been a split or rot on the far side that we missed.

That experience stuck with me. It’s a perfect analogy for building Indigenous partnerships: you have to take the time to “walk around the tree” – to truly get to know the community and understand their needs, aspirations and perspectives. Companies shouldn’t assume they know what’s best for Indigenous communities. Instead, they need to spend time in the community, listen and learn. Strong relationships are built on mutual understanding, and that leads to better outcomes for everyone.

Q: You were recently appointed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to the First Nations Major Projects Coalition Advisory Centre, and you’re the only person with a forestry background. How does that background give you insight into the challenges and opportunities at a national level?

Forestry has the longest-standing relationship with Indigenous communities in Canada. My experience in the sector has grounded my understanding of how business and community intersect. While forestry projects won’t necessarily fit the scale of national initiatives, the lessons learned – about Indigenous partnerships, respect and capacity-building – apply across the economy. I’m grateful for what forestry has taught me, and I carry those insights into all my work. 

Learn more about JP Gladu and his work: JP Gladu: Indigenous economic development leader | Mokwateh

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“This report delivers an initial view of our unified company’s performance across a comprehensive set of sustainability indicators,” says John D. Williams, non-executive chairman of the Domtar management board. “It marks a pivotal milestone in our journey following the May 2025 release of our 2030 sustainability strategy and sets the stage for continued progress.”

The report overviews that strategy, and its data disclosures address environmental, social and governance indicators that align with internal and external priorities identified during strategy development. Disclosures cover energy use, carbon emissions and other environmental impacts, forest management and fibre procurement, safety, community investments and the company’s workforce profile.

These disclosures will be an important internal performance-management tool as the company continues to pursue its 2030 targets, along with a resource to understand Domtar’s practices, objectives and progress over time. Future reports will be tied more specifically to tracking our progress on those targets.

“While we’ve set ambitious targets for ourselves, the strength of our starting position and momentum is evident in the outcomes and recognition detailed in this report,” Williams adds. That includes Domtar’s ranking as one of the “Private 25 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World” by Corporate Knights in 2025.

Qualitative content within the report is structured with reference to the three strategic pillars of Environmental Stewardship, Our People and Communities, and Responsible Business. It highlights long-standing and deeply rooted commitments across the company’s operations to invest in innovation and performance improvement and to foster greater resilience.

“We are consolidating our sustainability report and unifying our CDP submissions, ensuring everyone can evaluate our environmental performance holistically as an integrated company,” says Sabrina de Branco, global chief sustainability officer.

“One of our key priorities is achieving full compliance with applicable recognized international reporting standards by 2030,” de Branco adds. “While this report marks a solid starting point, it’s only the beginning. We are committed to advancing our sustainability strategy, driving continuous improvement in both performance and transparency over the next five years and beyond.”

View the full and summary reports: Sustainability.domtar.com

Learn more:

• Domtar’s Sustainability Strategy
• Domtar Sustainability Strategy Overview Video
• Our Sustainability Strategy: A Commitment to Environmental Stewardship
• Our Sustainability Strategy: Our People and Communities

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Griffith University MBA Director Professor Naomi Birdthistle is passionate about making change where it matters: in the hearts of a new wave of business leaders, and she explains what ‘doing things differently’ looks like for the MBA program.

As the business world has played a part in creating environmental, social and ethical challenges which can seem insurmountable, how does Griffith’s MBA program contribute to a solution?

The Griffith MBA creates a model of what a future leader needs to be, to deal with wicked problems. Sustainability should become second nature for all business leaders, and they should have SDGs embedded into their decision-making process.

We equip students with a sustainability mindset. We bring out the passion and provide an authentic learning experience.

Ethical leadership is more important than ever in today’s business world. We emphasize the importance of integrity, transparency, and ethical decision-making. From a human and environmental perspective, the business world is increasingly uncertain and volatile. Professionals need to be adaptable and resilient, and we equip students with skills to navigate change and uncertainty. We model adaptability by continuously updating our curriculum to reflect the latest trends and challenges, and the program covers topics such as change management, crisis leadership, and strategic agility.

What sets Griffith’s program apart from other MBAs?

As well as imparting practical business know-how, we believe education should instil values which guide ethical decision-making and responsible leadership. Our curriculum is designed to foster critical thinking, empathy, and a deep understanding of the broader impact of business decisions on society and the environment. Griffith MBA alumni are a new class of professionals, the kind necessary to implement the change needed for a better world.

Human qualities such as emotional intelligence are integral to our curriculum. We understand that effective leadership and management require not only technical skills, but also the ability to navigate interpersonal relationships and understand the emotional dynamics within teams and organizations.

By embedding emotional intelligence throughout our curriculum, we ensure our graduates are capable of leading with empathy, resilience, and a deep understanding of human behaviour. These qualities are essential for creating inclusive, innovative, and high-performing organisations.

Two courses of note include Leading for Sustainable People Outcomes and Developing Values-based Leadership. Students learn how to manage their own emotions and understand the emotions of others, which is crucial for leading diverse teams and fostering a positive work environment.

How do you ensure MBA graduates stay relevant through their career?

We instil a mindset of lifelong learning in our students, because learning doesn’t stop at graduation. We encourage students and alumni to continuously seek new knowledge and skills. We model this through our ‘MBA for Life’ program by offering alumni access to ongoing professional development opportunities and resources.

How important is it to incorporate technology concepts such as artificial intelligence (AI) and automation into the program?

We recognise rapid advancement of technology has transformed how businesses operate and have integrated digital transformation into our curriculum. Our program covers topics such as digital marketing, data analytics, AI, and cybersecurity. Students learn how to leverage technology to drive innovation and efficiency in their organizations. Our extracurricular offerings include mini masterclasses, and a recent session examined how leaders can build AI powered organisations with human-centric values. There are ethical dimensions related to the use of technology, and we are always delivering opportunities for students to consider the challenges related to the responsible adoption of technology.

Griffith has performed exceptionally in sustainable business rankings, how has the program managed to take sustainable business education to the next level?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aren’t a secondary thought; they are the solid bedrock with which the MBA program is firmly rooted. Sustainability is a central theme in the learning journey of every Griffith MBA student and this commitment is reflected through assessments, case studies and guest speakers across multiple disciplines. We are so confident in our integration of SDGs into our core courses, that we proudly name our courses to reflect ambitious sustainable outcomes, such as: Economics for a Sustainable Future; Sustainability and Systems Thinking; and Leading for Sustainable People Outcomes.

Case studies aligned with the SDGs provide real world business experience, and the hands-on approach helps students to understand the practical implications of sustainable business practices. This gives them the opportunity to develop innovative solutions to wicked problems and challenges.

Why is diversity and inclusion important to Griffith and how do you ensure this value is embedded into the program?

A diverse and inclusive environment enriches the learning experience of students and prepares them to lead in a globalized world. Our graduates are empathetic and culturally aware leaders who are equipped to foster inclusive environments and drive positive change in their organizations and communities.

As an Australian-based university, we actively recruit students from various cultural, professional, and academic backgrounds which fosters a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives. Our curriculum is designed to address issues of diversity and inclusion across all courses and includes topics such as cross-cultural management, inclusive leadership, and global business ethics.

Our students engage in international exchanges, study tours, and collaborations with global institutions and these experiences help students understand and appreciate cultural differences and develop a global mindset. We also ensure our faculty and guest speakers represent a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. This diversity in teaching staff provides students with varied perspectives and role models, enriching their educational journey.

Access is a crucial part of ensuring student diversity, and we offer a range of delivery methods which aim to suit a great number of students. We strive to create a supportive and welcoming environment and provide support services such as mentorship programs, counselling and student organisations which promote diversity and inclusion.

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We strive to put sustainability at the heart of everything we do. It starts with our Sustainability Strategy, which focuses our efforts in three areas: Environmental Stewardship, Our People and Communities and Responsible Business.

The framework, which launched in May 2025, is the result of nearly two years of work, led by our Sustainability Team with the collective feedback of operational and subject matter experts across our business units. The integrated strategy drives all of our operations and commitments as we continue our work as a leading manufacturer of diversified forest products under the ownership of investor Jackson Wijaya.

“I’m tremendously proud of the strategy we’ve created,” says Domtar Chief Sustainability Officer Sabrina de Branco. “Considering the strong history of all our legacy companies, I can say with confidence that Domtar is moving onward and upward while being firmly rooted in sustainability.”

In this article, we’re exploring the first pillar in our strategy: Environmental Stewardship. Upcoming articles will explore the other two pillars and their key objectives.

What Is Environmental Stewardship?

Environmental Stewardship encompasses our efforts to steward the planet’s resources responsibly by reducing the environmental footprint of our everyday operations and setting actionable objectives that positively impact nature and the environment.

“In today’s world, our stakeholders and partners across all sectors are rightfully focused on environmental impact,” says Luc Thériault, president of Domtar’s Wood Products business unit. “For a company like ours that depends on renewable natural resources like wood fiber, this scrutiny isn’t just expected—it’s essential. Our environmental performance must be exemplary, which is why this pillar is fundamental to our strategy.”

This pillar includes four key objectives.

Sustainable Forest Management and Fiber Sourcing

Sustainable forest management and fiber sourcing are critical to our supply chain and the health of forests. We will advance our long-standing commitment to sustainable forest management across Domtar’s value chain for all wood and fiber. By 2030, we are committed to:

• Sourcing 100 percent of our wood and fiber from responsibly managed forests;
• Increasing landowner engagement from seed to harvest, compared to 2025, on practices that deliver social, environmental and economic value; and
• Ensuring Domtar is recognized as a collaborative partner in advancing the status of critical habitat for threatened species.

Positive Biodiversity Impacts

The health of our forests depends on having a healthy level of biodiversity, with an abundance and variety of life existing within the forest ecosystem. Maintaining or improving biodiversity requires an ongoing commitment to sustainable forestry practices and proactive measures to rehabilitate land when the opportunity arises. We will positively impact biodiversity through our forests, fiber supply chain and operational footprint.

By 2030, we will ensure that 100 percent of our operations with risks in high-value areas have action plans in place within one year of their completed assessments.

Decarbonization

Decarbonization—the reduction or removal of carbon dioxide emissions—is a critical pillar of global climate action and a key element of Domtar’s sustainability strategy. At Domtar, we are building on existing good practices and operational strengths to drive meaningful emission reductions across our value chain. This includes identifying and advancing strategic projects at our mills that lower our carbon footprint while safeguarding the long-term viability and competitiveness of our assets.

We’ve already reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by about 1/3 since 2015. We will continue to decarbonize our operations, products and value chain by leveraging renewable, sustainable, fossil-free resources and efficient manufacturing processes. We will achieve our greenhouse gas emission reduction target—to be established by 2026—for target year 2035 or sooner.

Water Resilience

Water is essential to the production of pulp, paper and wood products, and many of our facilities are located near rivers, lakes and watersheds to ensure access to this vital resource. Recognizing that water is a shared and precious natural resource, our goal is to reduce water-related risks and minimize our impact on local ecosystems by optimizing water use, improving treatment processes and collaborating with stakeholders to support watershed health.

Our 2030 targets for this objective include:

• Reducing water use intensity by 20 percent over 2020 baseline in the Paper and Packaging business unit.
• Ensuring 100 percent of our pulp, paper and tissue mills have risk mitigation plans in place within one year of completing assessments.

The Future of Our Environmental Stewardship

As we implement our sustainability strategy and work toward achieving our Environmental Stewardship objectives, we’re simply continuing the sustainability journey we started many years ago.

“We’re already engaged in several high-impact projects that we’re pursuing jointly with environmental non-governmental organizations and others. Certainly, our legacy companies had a strong track record of this type, and we’ve been moving further down this path as the new Domtar,” says Paige Goff, Domtar’s vice president of Sustainability, Strategic Partnerships and Engagement. “We’re looking to grow the number of partnerships and projects that we will engage in over time. And there’s perhaps no better overarching measure of the success of our strategy as a whole than the degree of trust we earn.”

Visit Domtar.com for a full overview of Domtar’s sustainability strategy and recent sustainability report, including objectives and performance targets that define the roadmap for our company’s efforts in the years ahead.

Domtar is of the “Private 25 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World” named by Corporate Knights in 2025.

 

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As he observed these shifts, the young man saw the potential to improve people’s lives by making technology more energy-efficient.

Amidst growing electrification, the country’s bike riders traded their flame lamps for battery-powered electronic ones. These devices were seen as unreliable due to their limited life of only two to three hours. Over six months of testing, Panasonic founder Kōnosuke Matsushita developed a bullet-shaped bicycle lamp that could operate for 30 to 40 hours.

More than 100 years later, Panasonic’s work is still founded on these ideas: making people’s lives better by making technology more responsive and more efficient.

The one thing that has changed is our more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of industrialization on people and the planet. “The society in which we live means that the pace of consumption is accelerating,” says Markus Reichling, general manager of green transformation at Panasonic. “[It’s] a model that is fast but unsustainable for the planet.”

To help address climate change with the urgency it requires and continue its work supporting Matsushita’s founding principles, the company publicly shared about its Panasonic Green Impact initiative for the first time in 2022 to deepen its commitment to sustainability. The company has begun the work to either neutralize or otherwise avoid more than 300 million tons of carbon dioxide as part of the work embodied by the three pillars of Panasonic Green Impact. That’s a global total of around 31.7 billion tons, according to the company’s Sustainability Databook.

Investing in the circular economy

As part of this effort, Panasonic has increased its investment in the circular economy, a system focused on reusing and regenerating materials and products to enhance production and manufacturing efficiency. “By embracing the circular economy, a product is given an extended – or even second – life and waste is reduced,” Reichling says.

One example showcasing how design can be developed with the circular economy in mind is Panasonic’s MultiShape, a personal-care product that offers multiple options for attachment heads, like a razor, toothbrush and trimmer, that are all compatible with the same base, motor and battery – and thus replacing the need for multiple individual products. The unique design could save as much as 60% of the resources it would take to make a single-function item, such as an electric toothbrush.

“Panasonic is still continuing to produce and sell individual products,” Reichling says. “But, with the MultiShape, we would like to offer the customer a more sustainable, more responsible solution.”

Cutting costs – and emissions – for its business partners

This same innovative approach applies to Panasonic’s work with its business partners: across the industries the company serves, Panasonic supplies cutting-edge solutions that prioritize longevity, resource efficiency and responsible design. Panasonic is working to advance these efforts at Hussmann, a Panasonic company – an industry leader that provides display merchandisers, refrigeration systems, connected solutions, installation and services to food retailers around the world.

Refrigeration plays a central role in the food retail industry: customers not only expect fresh quality, but spoiled food and waste increases costs for businesses. Traditional refrigeration solutions provide additional environmental challenges, chief among them continuous refrigerant leaks.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average supermarket leaks almost 400 kilograms of R-404A refrigerant per year – the equivalent of emissions from 339 cars. Hussmann addressed this challenge head-on with its cloud-based platform StoreConnect that leverages advanced data analytics to detect leaks in very early stages, which traditional monitoring equipment would not detect until the system runs out of refrigerant.

Recognizing the urgency of this issue, Hussmann implemented StoreConnect in 2022 across numerous customer sites. The platform’s “advanced refrigerant leak detection” technology provides near real-time data, allowing technicians to proactively address leaks before they become critical and reduce environmental impact.

“By significantly reducing leaks – achieving 30%-plus leak-rate reductions in the first year – we’re accelerating detection, transforming refrigerant management from reactive to proactive, and ultimately minimizing environmental impact. This shift isn’t just improving operational efficiency; it’s driving sustainability and cost savings for our customers,” says Sarah Greenwood, senior vice president of connected solutions at Hussmann.

Starting at the source

Beyond the design of its products and solutions, Panasonic is working to transform its “own impact” by assessing the ways it can reduce its carbon emissions across its value chain. This starts with the company’s efforts to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide across all its manufacturing sites by 2030.

By the end of 2024, Panasonic had achieved 44 net-zero factories.

“Here in North America, Panasonic is approaching the climate crisis from a few different angles, starting with reducing our Scope 1 and 2 emissions at our Panasonic factories,” says Andrea Murphy, director of environmental affairs compliance and sustainability at Panasonic Corporation of North America.

Scope 1 emissions are emissions that occur directly in a company’s own value chain, while Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from purchased or acquired electricity, steam, heat or cooling that are generated off-site and consumed by the company.

To achieve these net-zero goals, Panasonic is leveraging a combination of on-site renewable energy generation – such as solar panels and hydrogen fuel cells – alongside energy storage systems to ensure a stable power supply. The company also enhances energy efficiency through advanced management systems and optimized manufacturing processes.

Working to further close the gap, Panasonic purchases renewable energy and credits. Also, the company collaborates with clean energy networks such as the Clean Energy Buyers Association – all as part of its commitment to transforming its global manufacturing sites into zero-carbon factories by 2030. “Our commitment is to reduce carbon emissions by more than 300 million tons, which we calculated to be 1% of the current global emissions,” Murphy says. “I believe that’s well respected by our customers.”

The company believes that Panasonic Green Impact is a comprehensive initiative that can have a greater influence on the larger business community by establishing these practices as a foundational part of doing business.

According to Murphy, Panasonic takes every opportunity to promote decarbonization and energy-saving behaviours among customers, businesses, governments and investors: “Our partners and suppliers are hand-chosen. We partner with companies that have very similar initiatives to Panasonic, so they’re very happy to collaborate and work together [with us] toward those common goals.”

* Panasonic Corp has ranked in the 2025 Clean200. 

Andrea Murphy, director of environmental affairs and sustainability,
Panasonic Corporation of North America

Andrea Murphy is the director of environmental affairs and sustainability at Panasonic Corporation of North America. Since 2019, she has led and implemented the company’s regulatory compliance, recycling and sustainability initiatives. A key member of the company’s Global Environmental Task Force, she proudly supports Panasonic’s Green Impact initiative, dedicated to reducing carbon dioxide and promoting renewable-energy efforts that will help secure a sustainable future for customers and communities around the world.

An experienced environmental professional, Murphy has 19 years of environmental management experience, including five years focused on general management experience in project management, finance and strategy. Prior to joining Panasonic, Murphy held multiple environmental compliance roles with Verizon to focused on wireless network infrastructure, new product launches and agency relations. She also served as a regulator with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department’s hazardous materials unit, enforcing hazardous waste and hazardous materials regulatory management programs.

Murphy holds an undergraduate degree in environmental studies from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a master’s degree in environmental management from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She also earned her certification in Igniting Performance with Purpose from Duke Corporate Education.

Outside of her work responsibilities, Murphy serves as president of MRM E-Cycling Management, a consortium of manufacturers that aims to realize convenient environmentally responsible recycling opportunities to consumers nationwide. She is also an active member of her town’s Environmental Commission, providing leadership and vision on conservation and sustainability actions and policies for residents, businesses and natural resources. Currently, she is the executive sponsor for Panasonic’s LGBTQ+ business impact group, PRISM, supporting allyship and fostering inclusivity for all.

Recent speaking ops:

CES 2025: Rechargeable Batteries in Consumer Tech- A Path to Sustainability?

CES 2025: Circular Economy Innovations 2025

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At Trane Technologies, we are proving that a robust sustainability strategy embedded in a business plan can drive significant value and growth. Our commitment to sustainability has not only enhanced our own operations; it has helped our customers operate more sustainably and propelled our financial performance and innovation to new heights. 

A clear business strategy 

Sustainability is about the long game, and so is growth. While Trane Technologies was launched just over five years ago, our sustainability-focused business trajectory was set in motion nearly two decades ago.

When we became Trane Technologies in 2020, investors already valued our focus as a climate innovator and the alignment of our investment and business strategies. We embraced global megatrends, using them as a catalyst for new ideas and focusing our investment on sustainable innovation. Today, 100% of our portfolio is focused on improving energy efficiency for our customers and driving more sustainable outcomes.

This focused strategy and continued customer demand for more sustainable solutions has delivered differentiated financial performance, including a compound annual revenue growth rate of 12% since 2020 and a 286% increase in total shareholder returns over the same period – almost three times the rate of the S&P 500. 

A strong business case for sustainability 

One common misconception is that sustainability is more expensive. Based on our experience, sustainability pays off when it’s built into the business. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Initiative (we are a participating member), every dollar invested in building modernization returns an average of $3 in energy savings over five years. Add to this the fact that energy costs are rising and many buildings waste an average of 30% of energy after the meter as a result of inefficiency. This convergence of rising operating costs and the need for greater efficiency is the sweet spot for technology and innovation in our business.

Today, thermal management systems in our commercial HVAC portfolio are 70% more energy efficient than they were six years ago, and many offer heat recovery and energy storage to enhance energy optimization. 

We see these results in our own operations like our La Crosse, Wisconsin facility – established more than 100 years ago – now operating with our Trane Thermal BatteryTM Storage Source Heat Pump system, a first-of-its-kind solution to advance and integrate electrified, low-carbon heating and cooling and energy storage into a single solution. The new system saved 15 million gallons of water in 2023 – a reduction of 85% from the prior year – and is estimated to reduce the overall energy use of the building by 28% compared to the previous system. This same century-old facility, where Trane got its start, manufactures some of the most efficient (and largest) chiller systems we make for high-tech semiconductor and data centre industries, pushing us forward as we deliver a new wave of efficiency for a rapidly changing world. 

A compelling demand for innovation 

It’s estimated that electricity could represent up to 70% of final energy demand by 2050. The falling costs of renewables and increased availability of storage solutions make it possible to achieve the massive expansion of clean power systems this transition will require. 

In the Netherlands, we helped Organon, a global pharmaceutical company, optimize the heating and cooling needs of its largest production site while supporting its goal to be carbon neutral by 2035. With the implementation of three high-efficiency heat pumps with energy recovery, Organon is saving nearly 7,700 gigajoules of energy a year – equivalent to almost 243,000 cubic metres of gas. 

As electrified and highly efficient systems are coupled with AI-enhanced solutions and autonomous controls, they can optimize for numerous variables such as weather, pollution, occupancy and building design. As a result, the ability to optimize energy performance is being supercharged.

Reducing emissions related to the use of our products remains our biggest decarbonization opportunity and is what drives our Gigaton Challenge to reduce one billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from our customers’ footprint by 2030 (from a 2019 baseline). In addition to that, reducing the carbon intensity associated with our products’ life cycles is increasingly important to our customers’ sustainability and resiliency goals. That is why we expanded our 2030 Sustainability Commitments with a goal to reduce embodied carbon by 40%. Already, our focus is driving innovation in product development with an eye toward designing products for circularity, and upstream with some of our most significant material suppliers of low-carbon steel, aluminum and copper.  

This level of improvement and achievement does not happen overnight; it is the result of a clearly defined strategy, strong demand and consistent commitment to innovation.

A purpose-driven culture 

We believe that innovation and growth come from everyone, so we actively nurture a distinctive culture. Our employees embrace our sustainability-focused purpose, as shown by our latest annual employee-engagement survey score of 82 out of 100, placing us in the top quartile of external benchmarks. Additionally, our sustainability index, reflecting team sentiment on our sustainability efforts, increased by two points, making it one of our highest engagement areas.

We embed sustainability into our everyday work and operating model. Our Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability has been at the heart of our sustainability efforts for 15 years. This dedicated team shapes our sustainability strategy, oversees product stewardship, and drives education and advocacy to elevate sustainability standards both within our company and globally.

Across the company, we encourage salaried team members to set at least one sustainability goal each year, integrating these objectives into their annual plans. And we’ve rapidly grown a global network of almost 1,000 Sustainability Ambassadors who help identify and replicate sustainable business practices across our global footprint.

What may seem like simple steps to engage our workforce in our sustainability strategy has a very real impact on scaling our efforts and empowering our people to own the actions that will help us grow.

A bright future

The combination of what we’ve accomplished – and commitment to the transformative potential of technology and innovation – is why I joined Trane Technologies at the start of 2025. We have a reputation as a strong operator dedicated to continuous improvement. We are known for credible action through climate innovation and advocacy, bold sustainability commitments that are leading our industry, and a highly engaged global workforce that is propelled by our purpose. 

This consistency and intentionality translates into growth, demonstrated in our latest Sustainability Report. As one of our external financial analysts put it, “Right place, right time, right culture to capitalize.” We couldn’t agree more.

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